Control of piston trajectory in a free-piston combustion engine

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards free-piston combustion engines. As described herein, a method and system are provided for displacing a free-piston assembly to achieve a desired engine performance by repeatedly determining position-force trajectories over the course of a propagation path and effecting the displacement of the free-piston assembly based, at least in part, on the position-force trajectory. In a dual-piston assembly free-piston engine, synchronization of the two piston assemblies is provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method performed by a programmed computer system for controlling displacement of a free-piston assembly in a free-piston engine based on a desired engine performance, the method comprising:
 a) determining a position-force trajectory for displacing the free-piston assembly based on an estimated amount of work to be performed on the free-piston assembly to achieve the desired engine performance and without regard to a previously determined position-force trajectory, wherein the estimated amount of work is based at least in part on a desired apex position; 
 b) effecting displacement of the free-piston assembly based on the position-force trajectory; and 
 c) repeating a) and b) until the programmed computer system determines to cease. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein element a) further comprises calculating a velocity of the free-piston assembly and wherein determining the position-force trajectory further comprises determining the position-force trajectory based on the velocity of the free-piston assembly. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein element a) further comprises performing one or more pressure measurements in a section of the free-piston engine and wherein determining the position-force trajectory further comprises determining the position-force trajectory based on the one or more pressure measurements. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein element a) further comprises determining one or more pressure estimates in one or more respective sections of the free-piston engine and wherein determining the position-force trajectory further comprises determining the position-force trajectory based on the one or more pressure estimates. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the position-force trajectory comprises determining the position-force trajectory using a closed-form solution. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the position-force trajectory comprises determining the position-force trajectory without regard to a timing of the desired engine performance. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining a position-force trajectory for displacing the free-piston assembly based on the desired engine performance comprises determining the position-force trajectory such that the free-piston assembly reaches a desired target position with a specified velocity. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the specified velocity is zero. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the free-piston assembly is a first free-piston assembly and the position-force trajectory is a first position-force trajectory, and wherein the free-piston engine comprises a second free-piston assembly opposed to the first free-piston assembly, and wherein element a) further comprises determining a second position-force trajectory for displacing the second free-piston assembly based on an estimated amount of work to be performed on the second free-piston assembly to achieve the desired engine performance and without regard to a previously determined second position-force trajectory, and wherein element b) further comprises effecting displacement of the second free-piston assembly based on the second position-force trajectory. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein element a) further comprises calculating synchronization forces for the first free-piston assembly and for the second free-piston assembly, respectively, and wherein element b) further comprises effecting displacement of the first free-piston assembly and of the second free-piston assembly based on the respective synchronization forces. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the programmed computer system determines to cease at step c) based on detecting that conditions are sufficiently steady, the method further comprising d) switching to a repetitive adaptive control technique for controlling displacement of the free-piston assembly. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the estimated amount of work is an estimate of work required to move the free-piston assembly from a current position to the desired apex position. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein step a) further comprises determining the position-force trajectory for displacing the free-piston assembly based on a current kinetic energy of the free-piston assembly. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein step a) further comprises determining the position-force trajectory for displacing the free-piston assembly based on a current position of the free-piston assembly. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein determining the one or more force values for displacing the free-piston assembly is based on a current kinetic energy of the free-piston assembly. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1  wherein the repeating a) and b) is performed during the course of a single stroke. 
     
     
       17. A method performed by a programmed computer system for controlling displacement of a free-piston assembly in a free-piston engine based on a desired engine performance, the method comprising:
 repeatedly determining one or more force values for displacing the free-piston assembly based on an estimated amount of work to be performed on the free-piston assembly to achieve the desired engine performance and without regard to a deviation from a previously determined trajectory, wherein the estimated amount of work is based at least in part on a desired apex position; and 
 for each repetition, effecting displacement of the free-piston assembly based on the respective one or more force values. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein repeatedly determining the one or more force values comprises, for each repetition:
 measuring one or more measurement values indicative of a state of the free-piston engine at a respective repetition; and 
 determining the one or more force values based on the respective one or more measurement values and on the desired engine performance. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more measurement values comprises at least one of free-piston assembly position, free-piston assembly velocity, free-piston assembly acceleration, combustion section gas pressure, gas spring gas pressure, driver section force, piston assembly compressive force, piston assembly axial deflection, air flow, fuel flow, exhaust oxygen concentration, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 17 , wherein repeatedly determining the one or more force values comprises, for each repetition:
 estimating one or more estimated values indicative of a state of the free-piston engine at a respective repetition; and 
 determining the one or more force values based on the respective one or more estimated values and on the desired engine performance. 
 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 17 , wherein repeatedly determining the one or more force values comprises using a closed-form solution. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the free-piston assembly is a first free-piston assembly and wherein the free-piston engine comprises a second free-piston assembly opposed to the first free-piston assembly, and wherein the method further comprises synchronizing movement of the first free-piston assembly with movement of the second free-piston-assembly. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 detecting that conditions are sufficiently steady; 
 determining to cease determining the one or more force values based on detecting that the conditions are sufficiently steady; and 
 switching to a repetitive adaptive control technique for controlling displacement of the free-piston assembly. 
 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the estimated amount of work is an estimate of work required to move the free-piston assembly from a current position to the desired apex position. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 17  wherein the repeatedly determining one or more force values is performed during the course of a single stroke. 
     
     
       26. A programmed computer system communicatively coupled to a free-piston engine comprising a free-piston assembly, the programmed computer system configured to:
 a) determine a position-force trajectory for displacing the free-piston assembly based on an estimated amount of work to be performed on the free-piston assembly to achieve a desired engine performance and without regard to a previously determined position-force trajectory, wherein the estimated amount of work is based at least in part on a desired apex position; 
 b) effect displacement of the free-piston assembly based on the position-force trajectory; and 
 c) repeat a) and b) until the programmed computer system determines to cease. 
 
     
     
       27. The programmed computer system of  claim 26 , further configured to, at b):
 calculate a velocity of the free-piston assembly; and 
 determine the position-force trajectory based on the velocity of the free-piston assembly. 
 
     
     
       28. The programmed computer system of  claim 26 , further configured to, at b):
 cause one or more pressure measurements to be performed in a section of the free-piston engine; and 
 determine the position-force trajectory based on the one or more pressure measurements. 
 
     
     
       29. The programmed computer system of  claim 26 , further configured to, at b): determine one or more pressure estimates in one or more respective sections of the free-piston engine; and determine the position-force trajectory based on the one or more pressure estimates. 
     
     
       30. The programmed computer system of  claim 26 , further configured to determine the position-force trajectory using a closed-form solution. 
     
     
       31. The programmed computer system of  claim 26 , further configured to determine the position-force trajectory without regard to a timing of the desired engine performance. 
     
     
       32. The programmed computer system of  claim 26 , further configured to determine the position-force trajectory such that the free-piston assembly reaches a desired target position with a specified velocity. 
     
     
       33. The programmed computer system of  claim 32 , wherein the specified velocity is zero. 
     
     
       34. The programmed computer system of  claim 26 , wherein the free-piston assembly is a first free-piston assembly and the position-force trajectory is a first position-force trajectory, and wherein the free-piston engine comprises a second free-piston assembly opposed to the first free-piston assembly, and wherein the programmed computer system is further configured to:
 at a), determine a second position-force trajectory for displacing the second free-piston assembly based on an estimated amount of work to be performed on the second free-piston assembly to achieve the desired engine performance and without regard to a previously determined second position-force trajectory; and 
 at b), effect displacement of the second free-piston assembly based on the second position-force trajectory. 
 
     
     
       35. The programmed computer system of  claim 34 , further configured to:
 at a), calculate synchronization forces for the first free-piston assembly and for the second free-piston assembly, respectively; and 
 at b), effect displacement of the first free-piston assembly and of the second free-piston assembly based on the respective synchronization forces. 
 
     
     
       36. The programmed computer system of  claim 26 , further configured to:
 cease at c) based on detecting that conditions are sufficiently steady; and 
 d) switch to a repetitive adaptive control technique for controlling displacement of the free-piston assembly. 
 
     
     
       37. The programmed computer system of  claim 26 , wherein the estimated amount of work is an estimate of work required to move the free-piston assembly from a current position to the desired apex position. 
     
     
       38. The programmed computer system of  claim 37 , further configured to, at a) determine the position-force trajectory for displacing the free-piston assembly based on a current kinetic energy of the free-piston assembly. 
     
     
       39. The programmed computer system of  claim 26 , further configured to, at a) determine the position-force trajectory for displacing the free-piston assembly based on a current position of the free-piston assembly. 
     
     
       40. The programmed computer system of  claim 26 , further configured to repeat a) and b) during the course of a single stroke.